Engine



1934- J. w. KINNUCAN ET AL Q 1,983,599

ENGINE Filed Oct. 8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Dec. 11, 1934.

J. W. KINNUC AN ET AL ENGINE Filed Oct. 8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS ay/as a FZi/z 1 4/7/1 25 17/ lfizz'mmm ATTOREY.

Patented Dec. 11, 1934 PATENT OFFICE.

ENGINE James W. Kinnucan and James 0. Fink, Detroit, Mrch., assignors to Continental Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich.,

Application October 8,

21 Claims.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and refers more particularly to the sleeve valve type of engine wherein a single sleeve associated with each engine cylinder is given a combined reciprocating and oscillating movement to control the cyclical events of the engine.

Our invention resides primarily in the construction and operation of improved ports for the sleeve valve and associated cylinder.

An object of our invention resides in the provision of improved ports whereby increased port area is obtained with resulting increased engine power and generally improved engine performance.

A further object of our invention resides in the provision of a port construction and arrangement whereby a relatively large number of ports may be provided, operating to provide efficient introduction of fuel mixture to the engine and efficient exhaust of gases therefrom. By reason of our invention the total area of port opening is increased for a given sleeve travel resulting in greatly improved volumetric efficiency of the engine.

Further objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent as this specification progresses, references being had to the accompanying drawings illustrating one form of our in vention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation view through a typical cylinder of the engine,

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of the sleeve development illustrating typical sleeve and cylinder cooperating ports, the sleeve exhaust port about to open,

Fig. 3 is a similar view of said ports with the sleeve intake port about to open,

Fig. 4 is a similar view of said ports with the sleeve intake port just closing, and

Fig. 5 is a complete development of the sleeve ports showing the sleeve intake ports partially open.

In the drawings reference character A represents the engine having one or more cylinders formed in cylinder block 11, the usual crank case 12 housing crankshaft 13. Piston 14 operates crankshaft 13 through the usual connecting rod 15. B represents the sleeve valve intermediate cylinder 10 and piston 14, the sleeve being moved as aforesaid in any well known manner, that illustrated in mechanism C comprising a half speed valveshaft 16 which is customary for four cycle engines, the valveshaft having a wobble crank 17 operating link 18 suita corporation of Virginia 1931, Serial No. 567,656

ably connected as by ball and socket 19 to sleeve B.

The usual cylinder head 20 closes the outer end of the cylinder 10 and provides combustion chamber 21. The cylinder 10 is provided with a series of intake ports D and exhaust ports E preferably arranged substantially in a plane perpendicular with the cylinder axis and sleeve B is provided with cooperating intake ports F and exhaust ports G, the sleeve ports being moved outwardly into the space between the cylinder head 20 and cylinder 10 during firing of the fuel mixture in chamber 21 (see Fig. 1).

By reason of the combined movement being imparted to the sleeve valve properly timed with the crankshaft, any point P on the sleeve will move in a closed curve path illustrated by the line H in Figs. 2 to 5. For convenience of reference the sleeve intake ports F are marked S. Int. and the cylinder intake ports D are marked Cyl. Int. Likewise the sleeve exhaust ports G are marked S. Ex. and the cylinder exhaust ports E are marked Cyl. Ex.

Our invention particularly resides in the construction and arrangement of the intake ports D and F since the efficient introduction of fuel mixture to the engine is of paramount importance in determining volumetric efiiciency, engine power and performance. These ports may be termed as being of substantially or generally triangular shape, the apices 22 of the sleeve intake ports F extending downwardly. or inwardly of the cylinder and sleeve axes while the apices 23 of the cylinder intake ports D extend upwardly or outwardly of the cylinder and sleeve axes. Other shapes of ports may be used if desired within the broader aspects of our invention. 'By reason of such arrangement a close nesting of the ports may be obtained, the apices 22 moving downwardly along path H between adjacent cylinder intake ports prior to port opening. The sleeve intake ports F have opening edges 24 cooperating with opening edges 25 of the cylinder intake ports D, these ports F and D respectively having cooperating closing edges 26, 27. Preferably the edges 24, 25 are substantially vertical or aligned axially with the sleeve and cylinder axes while edges 26, 27 are inclined therewith whereby their ends are spaced axially with respect to a plane perpendicular with the sleeve and cylinder axes, it being understood that we do not limit our invention to the specific arrangements shown as our improvements have much broader aspects.

It will 'be noted that the cylinder intake ports D and the sleeve intake ports F have a maximum circumferential width X substantially less than the circumferential or oscillatory component Y of the sleeve travel H, the resulting overlap in the sleeve travel being utilized to provide increased number of intake ports over conventional practice. It will be noted that the cylinder intake ports D (see Fig. are so constructed and arranged whereby the minimum distance Z between adjacent ports D is less than the maximum width X of the sleeve intake ports F. However, by reason of the port construction including the downwardly extending apices 22 of port F such ports enter apices Z without conflict with adjacent ports D and the result is a greatly increased total port area with greatly improved volumetric efficiency, engine power and performance. Such arrangements are important and constitute one important phase of our invention.

It will be noted that we have provided five intake ports D of relatively great area. although we do not limit our invention to any number of ports. By reason of our invention the intake gases are introduced more quickly into the engine cylinders than has heretofore been possible in this type of engine, and the ports, open ing quickly, maintaining substantially a fully open position for a longer time interval, give a net increase in the available valve opening area.

The exhaust ports in our illustrated embodiment of our invention comprise two cylinder exhaust ports E and two sleeve exhaust ports G each of which is larger than the cylinder and sleeve intake ports. The sleeve exhaust ports G each have a horizontal opening edge 28 cooperating with the horizontal edges 29 of cylinder exhaust ports E, the closing edges 30, 31 of said ports G and E respectively being inclined whereby the ends of such edges are spaced axially of the sleeve and cylinder axes. It will be understood that other constructions of exhaust ports may be used if desired in combination with our intake ports and vice versa without departing from the scope of our invention, especially since our invention relates primarily to construction and arrangement of intake ports.

Assuming the ports to be in the position shown in Fig. 2 the sleeve exhaust port G is moving into opening position with cylinder port E, opening edges 28, 29 being aligned for exhaust opening. At this juncture the sleeve has largely a downward or axial movement as will be noted from sleeve path H.

In Fig. 3 the sleeve exhaust port G, having swept across port E for exhaust, is nearing closing by reason of the cooperating edges 30, 31 while the sleeve intake port F is at the opening position with cylinder intake port D, edges 24, 25 being aligned. The sleeve now has largely a horizontal or oscillating movement as will be noted from path H. In Fig. 3 we have shown exhaust closing slightly overlapping intake opening although this is not necessary and is not a part of this invention, such feature being more particularly described and claimed in the co-pending application Ser. No. 562,280, filed September 11, 1931.

In Fig. 4 the sleeve is travelling largely vertically upwardly as will be noted from path H, the sleeve port F being at intake closing with cylinder port D by reason of edges 26, 27 being aligned. The cylinder ports move to the top of their travel (Fig. 1) when the charge is fired in chamber 21 whence they move downwardly for exhaust (Fig. 2) completing the cycle.

The port cycle has been described for one pair of intake and exhaust ports it being understood that the other corresponding pairs have like action.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In an engine of the type having a cylinder and associated sleeve valve adapted to move with combined oscillation and reciprocation, said cylinder and sleeve having cooperating intake ports, said ports having a circumferential width less than the oscillatory travel of the sleeve, adjacent cylinder ports being spaced circumferentially less than the said width of the sleeve intake ports.

2. In an engine of the type having a cylinder and associated sleeve valve adapted to move with combined oscillation and reciprocation, said cylinder and sleeve having cooperating intake ports, said ports having a circumferential width less than the oscillatory travel of the sleeve, adjacent cylinder ports being spaced circumferentially less than the said width of the sleeve intake ports, said ports being of substantially triangular shape.

3. In an engine of the type having a cylinder and associated sleeve valve adapted to move with combined oscillation and reciprocation, said cylinder and sleeve having cooperating intake ports, said ports having a circumferential width less than the oscillatory travel of the sleeve, adjacent cylinder ports being spaced circumferentially less than the said width of the sleeve intake ports, said ports being of substantially triangular shape, the apices of the cylinder and sleeve ports extending in opposite directions.

4. In an engine of the type having a cylinder and associated sleeve valve adapted to move with combined oscillation and reciprocation, said cylinder and sleeve having cooperating intake ports, said ports having a circumferential width less than the oscillatory travel of the sleeve, adjacent cylinder ports being spaced circumferentially less than the said width of the sleeve intake ports, said ports being of substantially triangular shape, the apices of the cylinder and sleeve ports extending upwardly and downwardly respectively relative to the sleeve axis whereby during the said sleeve movement the said sleeve port apices move downwardly into the space between adjacent cylinder ports.

5. In an engine of the type having a cylinder and associated sleeve valve adapted to move with combined oscillation and reciprocation, said cylinder and sleeve having cooperating intake ports, said ports having a circumferential width less than the oscillatory travel of the sleeve, adjacent cylinder ports being spaced circumferentially less than the said width of the sleeve intake ports, said ports having cooperating opening edges extending substantially axially of the sleeve.

6. In an engine of the type having a cylinder and associated sleeve valve adapted to move with combined oscillation and reciprocation, said cylinder and sleeve having cooperating intake ports, said ports having a circumferential width less than the oscillatory travel of the sleeve, adjacent cylinder ports being spaced circumferentially less than the said width of the sleeve intake ports, said ports having cooperating closing edges inclined with the sleeve axis whereby the ends of said inclined edges are spaced axially of the sleeve axis.

7. In an engine of the type having a cylinder and associated sleeve valve adapted to move with combined oscillation and reciprocation, said cylinder and sleeve'having cooperating intake ports, said ports'having a circumferential width less than the oscillatorytravel of the sleeve, adjacent cylinder ports being spaced circumferentia'lly less than the said width of the sleeve intake said ports having cooperating opening-Iedges extending substantially axially of the sleeve, said ports having cooperating closing edges inclined with the sleeve axis whereby the ends of said inclined edges are spaced axially of the sleeve axis.

8. In an engine of the type having a cylinder and associated sleeve valve adapted to move with combined oscillation and reciprocation, said cylinder and sleeve having cooperating intake ports, said ports being of substantially triangular shape, said sleeve ports having their apices extending downwardly axially of the sleeve, said cylinder ports having their apices extending upwardly axially of the sleeve, said cylinder ports being spaced circumferentially of the sleeve a distance less than the circumferential width of the sleeve ports. 7

9. In an engine of the type having a cylinder and associated sleeve valve adapted to move with combined oscillation and reciprocation, said cylinder and sleeve having cooperating intake ports, said ports having a circumferential width less than the oscillatory travel of the sleeve, adjacent cylinder ports being spaced circumferentially less than the said width of the sleeve intake ports, said sleeve and cylinder having cooperating exhaust ports.

10. In an engine of the type having a cylinder and associated sleeve valve adapted to move with combined oscillation and reciprocation, said cylinder and sleeve having cooperating intake ports, said ports having a circumferential width less than the oscillatory travel of the sleeve, adjacent cylinder ports being spaced circumferentially less than the said width of the sleeve intake ports, said sleeve and cylinder having cooperating exhaust ports, said exhaust ports having cooperating opening edges lying substantially in a plane transversely with the sleeve axis.

11. In an engine of the type having a cylinder and associated sleeve valve adapted to move with combined oscillation and reciprocation, said cy1- inder and sleeve having cooperating intake ports, said ports having a circumferential width less than the oscillatory travel of the sleeve, adjacent cylinder ports being spaced circumferentially less than the said width of the sleeve intake ports, said sleeve and cylinder having cooperating exhaust ports, said exhaust ports having cooperating opening edges lying substantially in a plane transversely with the sleeve axis, said exhaust ports having cooperating closing edges lying substantially at an angle with the sleeve axis whereby the ends of said inclined edges are spaced axially of the sleeve axis.

12. In an engine of the type having a cylinder and associated sleeve valve adapted to move with combined oscillation and reciprocation, said cylinder and sleeve having cooperating intake ports, said cylinder ports including a pair of ports circumferentially spaced less than the greatest circumferential dimension of a sleeve intake port cooperating with one of said pair or cylinder ports. I

13. In an engine of the type having a cylinder and associated sleeve valve adapted to move with combined oscillation and reciprocation, said cylinder and sleeve having cooperating intake ports, said cylinder ports including a pair of ports circumferentially spaced whereby the minimum dimension of such spacing is less than the maximum circumferential dimension of one of said sleeve intake ports cooperating with one of said pair of cylinder ports-.-

14. In an engine of the type having a cylinder and associated sleeve valve adapted to move with combined oscillation and reciprocation, said cylinder and sleeve having cooperating intake ports, said cylinder ports including a pair of ports circirmferentially spaced less than the greatest circumferential dimension of a sleeve intake port cooperating with one of said pair of cylinder ports, said ports being of substantially triangular shape.

15. In an engine of the type having a cylinder and associated sleeve valve adapted to move with combined oscillation and reciprocation, said cylinder and sleeve having cooperating intake ports, said cylinder ports including a pair of ports circumferentially spaced whereby the minimum dimension of such spacing is less than the maximum circumferential dimension of one of said sleeve intake ports cooperating with one of said pair of cylinder ports, said ports being of substantially triangular shape, whereby to permit movement of said cooperating sleeve intake port between said pair of ports prior to port opening.

16. In an engine of the type having a cylinder and associated sleeve valve adapted to move with combined oscillation and reciprocation, said cylinder and sleeve having cooperating intake ports, said cylinder ports including a pair of ports circumferentially spaced less than the greatest circumferential dimension of a sleeve intake port cooperating with one of said pair of cylinder ports, said ports being of substantially triangular shape, the apices of said cylinder ports extending axially of the sleeve in one direction and the apices of said sleeve ports extending in the opposite direction axially of the sleeve, whereby to permit movement of said cooperating sleeve intake port between said pair of ports prior to port opening.

17. In an engine having a cylinder formed with a pair of intake ports, a sleeve valve having combined oscillation and reciprocation associated with said cylinder, said sleeve having an intake port, said cylinder ports being spaced in the direction of oscillatory sleeve movement less than the maximum dimension of said sleeve port in said direction, said sleeve port moving into said space for registration with one of said cylinder ports' without conflict with the other.

18. In an engine having a cylinder formed with a pair of intake ports, a sleeve valve having combined oscillation and reciprocation associated with said cylinder, said sleeve having an intake port, said cylinder ports being spaced in the direction of oscillatory sleeve movement less than the maximum dimension of said sleeve port in said direction, said sleeve port having an apex adapted to move into said space for registration with one of said ports without conflict with the other.

19. In an engine having a cylinder formed with a pair of intake ports, a sleeve valve having combined oscillation and reciprocation associated with said cylinder,- said sleeve having an intake port, said cylinder port being spaced in the direction of oscillatory sleeve movement less than the maximum dimension of said sleeve port in said direction, said sleeve port moving into said space for registration with one of said cylinder ports Without conflict with the other, said sleeve and cylinder ports each having an opening edge extending substantially in the direction of the sleeve axis.

20. In an engine having a cylinder formed with a pair of intake ports, a sleeve valve having combined oscillation and reciprocation associated with said cylinder, said sleeve having an intake port, said cylinder port being spaced in the direction of oscillatory sleeve movement less than the maximum dimension of said sleeve port in said direction, said sleeve port moving into said space for registration with one of said cylin der ports without conflict with the other, said sleeve and cylinder ports each having an opening edge extending substantially in the direction of the sleeve axis, and a closing edge constructed and arranged whereby a line extending through opposite ends of said edge makes an acute angle with said opening edge.-

21- In an engine, a cylinder, a sleeve having combinedoscillation and reciprocation associated withsaid cylinder, said sleeve and cylinder ports having cooperating intake ports, said ports having substantially vertical cooperating opening edges and inclined cooperating closing edges positioned at an acute angle with said substantially vertical edges.

JAMES W. KINNUCAN.

JAMES O. FINK. 

